Dolphins debut at No. 11 in first ESPN power ranking

With the start of Dolphins training camp now just three weeks away, we’re starting to see a lot of ‘power ranking’ lists heading into the season. One of the more credible is the one compiled by ESPN and its bevy of analysts. The Dolphins wound up 11th of the 32 teams when Nos. 9-15 were unveiled on NFL Live Thursday, with the top eight scheduled to be revealed Friday.

The New York Jets, seemingly everyone’s pick to win the AFC East, hasn’t popped up yet, meaning they’re in the top eight. New England came in ninth and Buffalo 31st.

Dallas nose tackle Jay Ratliff, appearing as a guest analyst, said he felt Miami should have been picked higher.

“We all know to win in this game you have to be able to run the ball,” Ratliff said, “and they have two of the best running backs in the game. Then they have a physical offensive line, and on defense they added Karlos Dansby to shore things up in the middle. By Week 8 Jason Ferguson should come back, so they should be able to make a run in their conference.”

Ferguson actually won’t return until Week 9, but it’s not surprising Ratliff gave him a nod as the two were once nose-tackle teammates with the Cowboys.

Matt Millen, the other analyst on the show alongside host Trey Wingo, said each of the teams in the second-highest grouping are missing something, and said he was most intrigued by the Patriots.

“What are they gonna be?” he asked. “You know they have an offense; (Tom) Brady is now a year removed (from surgery) and you expect him to be at the top of his game. Their defense has to define itself.

“All of those teams have one aspect of their team that has not defined itself and taken the next step. Will it be the young QB, the offense per se, or the defense as a whole? All of them have one thing missing.”

Miami was picked ahead of defending AFC Central champion Cincinnati as well as Pittsburgh and Houston, both of whom beat the Dolphins last season. The list up to this point, in reverse order of which they’ve been announced: